Are you currently in the market to buy a home? If so, you’re likely concerned about many different aspects of your future home. How many bedrooms will it have? How many bathrooms? How big will the yard be, and so on… However we all know it’s about location, location, location aka neighborhood, neighborhood, neighborhood.
Before falling in love with a home, make sure you do a bit of research on your future neighborhood. Read on to learn what to look for when choosing your future neighborhood.
School District:
This is very important. You want your kids to have a high quality education, so make sure to check out their future schools. Even if you don’t have kids yet, it pays to check out the school district, as living in an area with a sought after school system can raise your property value (as well as your property taxes).
Proximity to Entertainment:
For the past two years I’ve lived in downtown San Diego. Talk about great neighborhood entertainment! Petco Park was two blocks away and I was in the center of the Gaslamp district with hundreds of restaurants and bars within walking distance. Date night or drinks with friends can already be costly, but once you add transportation costs or parking lot fees into the equation, it gets very pricey. Before jumping to any conclusions, look to see what types of entertainment and restaurants your future neighborhood offers.
Distance to the Necessities:
We all have those places that we frequently visit. Whether it be the grocery store, pharmacy, or the gym, you want it to be in close proximity to your new home. Who wants to waste their precious time on the weekends in the car just trying to get to the store? Not me, and I’m sure you don’t either. Make sure to check out the local stores or gym before buying your dream home.
Your Future Neighbors:
Who else lives in your future neighborhood? What will they be like? It’s time to do some research and ask some questions! Here are a few things you may want to do in order to learn more about your future neighbors:
- Conduct a criminal search online – you don’t want to live in a neighborhood with any sex offenders, so check out NSOPW.gov
- Check out the neighborhood at different times of the day and watch out for any red flags
- If you’re feeling brave enough, go ahead and knock on a few doors. This way you can get to know a few potential neighbors and ask them any questions you may have about the neighborhood.
If you have any mortgage questions, we’re here to help! Here are the top 5 questions to ask your mortgage lender (hint hint, OneTrust Home Loans). Interested in learning more about the wide-world of home loans? Check out more of our blogs or call us at (877) 706-5856 for your home financing needs!